Coffee

Coffee is at the heart of our business, and as leading UK coffee suppliers, we are passionate about bringing you only the finest bean blends sourced from some of the best plantations around the globe.

With award winning blends in our very own Ciao range, we are also authorised partners of leading brands such as illy, Gaggia, Kimbo and Taylors of Harrogate.

We supply a wide range of premium coffees such as fresh coffee beans, filter, espresso pods, and capsules. Choosing the right blend for your coffee equipment is an important decision and we are proud to offer only the finest quality.

We are serious about ethical and Fairtade coffee and large proportion of our range is Fairtrade accredited too.

Where do we source from?

Coffee is grown in more than 50 countries between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and across several continents. Coffee bushes need a temperate location with altitude, sunshine, showers and humidity to thrive. See the coffee growing regions map below.

There is great variety in the flavour and taste. This is due to, not only the type of plant from which the beans come, but also the altitude at which the plant is cultivated. Even more variety and effect on the flavour is caused by the country and area in which the beans are cultivated, harvested and processed. The soil, water and the climate will all affect the finished taste and aroma.

What’s the difference?

The two main types of seeds are arabica and robusta. Arabica is grown at high altitudes and produces a higher-quality bean. Each arabica berry is hand-picked once ripened from growth in natural soil, which enjoys pure rain water due to being higher in altitude. It also produces a heavier crop than robusta, which is grown at lower levels.

Robusta beans are mainly blended with quality arabicas, or purchased by supermarkets for ground and instant. Once harvested, the beans are then wet or dry processed which removes the cherry pulp, ensuring just the green bean remains. Wet processing requires specialist equipment and lots of water, which is not possible in many coffee growing regions. In these regions, dry processing is common. This consists of laying out the cherry to dry naturally before the outer husk is removed.